Language and identity theorists Flashcards
What did Goffman (1955) suggest?
That we present a particular image of ourselves to others
e.g a good friend in one context and a knowledgeable student in another
‘presenting face’, ‘saving face’, ‘threatening face’, ‘loosing face’
We accept the face people present/offer us
What did Grice find?
Cooperative principle - reaching mutual goals in conversation using maxims
Quality - contributions have to be true
Quantity - Contributions should be informative; not too little not too much
Relevance - Purposes of exchange must be relevant
Manner - Orderly and brief, avoiding obscurity and ambiguity
What did Paul Baker research?
We all create an understanding of things because of how we were nurtured
Reclamation, people have words that associate with something in their mental image
What are Hallidays functions?
Imaginative function
Expressive function
Ideational function: metaphor
Interpersonal
What did Lakoff find?
Gendered model
Women are inferior to men with weak language
Soft spoken
Over-apologising
Empty adjectives
No humour
No swearing
What is Gunns impulse theory?
Events chosen and why choose to share the understanding in the order that they did
Life is unchangeable and the impulse gives us a sense of reality to our experiences
What is Whorfianism (1956)
The structure of language affects its speakers’ world view or cognition, and peoples perception are relative to their spoken English language
The language we use can determine the way we think about things
What is Thornburrows theory (2004)?
One of the most fundamental ways we have of establishing our identity and shaping others view of who we are is through the use of language
Master identity (Gender, ethnicity, age)
Interactional identity (Specific interaction roles, communication context)
Personal identity (Talk and behave towards others; hot headed, honest, reasonable)
What is Tajfel’s theory?
Social identity theory
Representation helps individuals feel seen and valued
What did Stuart Hall find?
Explores how marginalised groups are often portrayed through narrow typical narratives
Festinger’s theory?
Social proximity
Writer wants to close the social proximity with the reader
Fullers theory?
Adolescents have a specific language which makes it easier for them to connect with other adolescents and build up self confidence
What is Paul Kroskrity findings
Identity is a dynamic feature, that is constantly evolving; where a person adapts their identity to their surrounding (context)
What is upward convergence?
Adjusting your language to match or elevate the speech style of someone perceived as socially superior.
Often involves adopting formal vocabulary, pronunciation, or tone to show respect or fit in with a higher social status
What is downward convergence?
This occurs when someone adapts their language to match a lower social status or a more informal speech style.
Often to reduce social distance/proximity or create solidarity with others of lower rank or status
What is mutual convergence?
This is when both parties in a conversation adjust their language to become more similar to each other speech style
